CHILDREN'S EYE TESTS

Good vision is every child's passport to the future

Poor eyesight can have a significant effect on children's ability to learn and on their behaviour, yet often goes unrecognised by teachers, parents and by children themselves. Children may not be aware or may not be able to explain their vision difficulties and, as a parent, you may not notice any problems.

The sooner that vision problems are detected, the better the outcome. Many childhood eye conditions, such as lazy eye and squint, can be treated if they are picked up early, as the eye and visual system are actively developing during the school years. If vision problems are identified and treated, it can make a difference that lasts a lifetime.

Here at Rachel Murray Eyecare, we welcome children of all ages to our practice. Children up to the age of 12 may be entitled to have their eyes tested under the HSE clinic schemes and we welcome prescriptions from local health centres and hospital eye departments. As the wait time in the HSE system can be long we also welcome children to be examined at the practice where we enjoy dealing with our younger patients.

When should I get my child's eyes tested?

At each of the following stages:

Infancy: Paediatrician visual assessment

Pre-School (3 years of age): Especially if you have concerns about your child's vision. Toddlers and young children do not need to be able to read, as an eye examination can be carried out using pictures.

Early School Going (3-6 years of age)

At two year intervals from here on unless advised to do so more often.

Many parents assume that their child will have their vision checked at school, regardless of whether this actually happens or not. A school vision screening is just that, a screening test. The aim is to identify children with significant visual issues so that they can be referred on for further investigation. A full eye test investigates what prescription exists if any and examines the health of the eye.

Early Warning Signs

If you suspect that something’s wrong, make an appointment with us as soon as possible. Here are some common symptoms to look out for:

Excessive blinking

Squinting or screwing up the eyes to see

Peering closely at books and TV

Clumsiness

Poor performance at school

Reluctance to read

Headaches

The likelihood is that everything will be fine, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. The sooner any problems are detected the quicker they can be rectified and your child can start to fully enjoy their vision again.

We stock an extensive range of specialised testing equipment for children and we tailor the eye examination to suit their age/ability.

Rachel Murray Eyecare stocks specialised collections of children's glasses – if we do not have the correct fitting frame in the practice we will order in as required. We believe that it is extremely important that a frame for a child is fitted by a trained optician as poorly fitted frames and lenses can result in damage to a child's normal facial development.

Our prices are extremely competitive but in the longer term it is often worth spending a little more to get the RIGHT frame rather than any frame. Please contact us if you have any queries or would like to make a frame fitting/eye exam appointment.